PLUS: DRUG TESTING

PLUS: DRUG TESTING; Cycling Group To Keep Samples

Published: November 17, 2000

Frozen urine samples from riders at the last Tour de France will be retained beyond the deadline set for the development of a reliable test for the hormone EPO.

The International Cycling Union said, after Wednesday's deadline had passed, that it would keep the samples even though a reliable test for the banned performance-enhancing drug failed to receive approval. The governing body of world cycling had originally decided to dispose of the samples collected at this summer's race by Nov. 15, unless a reliable EPO test had been validated.

The cycling organization said it had set the original policy in consultation with the French sports ministry. Marie-George Buffet, the French sports minister, later insisted there was no need to destroy the frozen samples.

The 91 samples will remain in storage and information on possible further steps will be provided later, the group said. Some sports experts have expressed doubts on how long the urine can be kept and still yield meaningful results in a test.

EPO, or erythropoetin, enhances endurance by boosting the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells in the body. Although the International Olympic Committee approved a combined blood and urine test for the recent Sydney Olympics, it has not approved a urine-only test.